Guild Wars 2

Because the GW2 is more about visuals than power upgrades – which is a very good thing – how about creating “skill tiers” after reaching level 80?

My idea is this:

Once you reach level 80, most but not all Utility Skills will gain Tier 2 which will be open with a set number of skill points and unlocked by using the respective skill a required number of times – just like weapon skill unlock system.
The T2 will not alter the power of the original skill but it will give it a “visual enhancement” showing that the player is using T2 skills.

There won’t be added more skills in the skill tab, they will just add number 2 on top right of the skill meaning that it is upgraded to T2

Example:
- Necromancer minion skills will give different models of minions
- Warrior banners will give new banner models ( small light beacons maybe? )
- Engineer turrets will change their form into more sophisticated looks
- Guardian spirit weapons will change the color from blue to yellow (or other custom color maybe? )
- Elementalist summoned weapons will become larger and using a different model
- Ranger traps will shoot ice and flame arrows in the sky when triggered (similar effect as guardian spirit bow barrage but from down to up not from up to down)
- Thief calltrops will become medium length spikes when stepped on.
- Mesmer’s mantra of resolve will make the character levitate in the lotus yoga position

This suggestion will give:

- new reasons to use different skills just to unlock the T2 for all available skills
- new reasons to use skill points after lvl 80 because opening T2 will require skill points and after that you need to use the skill to fully unlock it
- new visuals that will differentiate the lvl 80 characters amongst others
- new possibilities for ArenaNet to add more tiers over time as a horizontal progression mechanic just enhancing the visuals of the exiting or future skills without creating overpower or unbalanced skill issues

Great idea.

I think that sounds really cool – upgrading the visuals on spels/melee etc

I really like this idea!
I’d like to add to it though that while it is a really great idea, like the legendary weapons, the tier 2 effects would be normal and boring if they were all fairly easily affordable and it was easy to get every single one for every skill you use. So, maybe they’d have to be like 100 or 200 skill points to unlock each one? Then a player who say, had every effect for every skill would be someone who either has waaaay too much time on thier hands, or they are the opposite of an altoholic.

If you had 3 tiers, you could have the 2nd tier as each upgrade being 30 or 60 skill points and then tier 3 being 200 points per skill.

Would be cool if as a necromancer you could get the minion models from gw1. For the engineer (I don’t know why this isn’t the case anyway) but it would be cool if your turrets reflected the race your engineer is. It’s so sad that each race has such unique architecture and technology yet all their turrets look the same Make your sylvari engineers turrets into flowers and vines, your charr’s turrets become all steampunk and agressive…etc

Tier 1 Utility = 30 skill points
Tier 2 Utility = 60 skill points
Tier 3 Utility = 90 skill points
Elite = 120 skill points

Just added effects and cooler, or an epic feel for your favorite skills would be nice. I’d like the option to choose what I get if a color is involved.

What do you do with skill types with almost no animation to begin with tho? Shouts? Signets? Glyphs?

roachsrealm.9284:

What do you do with skill types with almost no animation to begin with tho? Shouts? Signets? Glyphs?

Hmmm….. these are tricky ones. As i said in the OP, “most but not all” utility skills will have more Tiers.
Let me think…

Shouts on T2 can have the effect of a light beam coming from the sky to every character in range or raising up from the ground. The colors of the light beams can vary depending on skills
For Tier 3, the beam of light can come from the character and expand its radius looking similar to elementalist static field

Glyphs can place different shaped markers on the ground similar to necromancer staff skills or they can give different visuals to summoned creatures

Signets can have different visual effects around the characters when passive